Changes to Property Use Class ‘will have big impact’
August 13, 2020
Adam Smylie, valuation and lease advisory associate at Kirkby Diamond, takes a look the changes to property use classes coming into force next month and the significant impact they are likely to have.
Property Use Class changes coming 01 September 2020
On the 22 July 2020, the Use Classes (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2020 were announced. These Regulations amend the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987, removing Parts A and D and creating new use classes from 01 September 2020
The new regulations introduce Use classes E and F.
Use Class E (Commercial, Business and Service) includes:
- Retail for sale of goods (excluding Hot food)
- Retail for sale of food and drink eaten on the premises.
- Financial and professional services, other commercial businesses.
- Sport and recreation
- Medical and health services
- Creche and Day Nursery
- i Office, ii Research and Development and iii Industrial uses.
Use Class F.1 (Learning and non-residential institutions) includes:
- for the provision of education,
- for the display of works of art (otherwise than for sale or hire),
- as a museum,
- as a public library or public reading room,
- as a public hall or exhibition hall,
- for, or in connection with, public worship or religious instruction,
- as a law court.
Use Class F.2 (Local Community) includes:
- a shop mostly selling essential goods, including food, to visiting members of the
public in circumstances where— (i) the shop’s premises cover an area not more than 280 metres square, and (ii) there is no other such facility within 1000 metre radius of the shop’s location,
- a hall or meeting place for the principal use of the local community,
- an area or place for outdoor sport or recreation, not involving motorised vehicles
or firearms,
- an indoor or outdoor swimming pool or skating rink.
These changes will significantly impact property professionals’ day to day activities and will certainly take some time getting used to.
Kirkby Diamond are Bedfordshire’s leading firm of Chartered Surveyors. We regularly advise landlords and tenants on property matters.
For more information on how this change in use classes will impact on your property please contact one of Kirkby Diamond’s lease advisory specialists at www.KirkbyDiamond.co.uk